As America's first and greatest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier approaches retirement, we recount the highlights of its half-century at sea.

The Towering Legacy of the USS Enterprise

The Towering Legacy of the USS Enterprise

The USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear aircraft carrier, is now undergoing deactivation prior to final decommissioning next year. From blockading Cuba during the 1962 Missile Crisis right up to operations against pirates off Somalia in 2011, the ship embodies 50 years of naval technology. Although it was commissioned way back in 1961, regular upgrades mean the Enterprise is still a modern warship.

Nuclear Power

Nuclear Power

The U.S. started developing nuclear power plants for ships back in the 1940s, seeing the obvious strategic advantage of an aircraft carrier that needs refuelling only once every few years. Enterprise was the first. While the ship has a somewhat conservative hull, one modified from the conventional Forrestal-class supercarrier, its propulsion was revolutionary.

The Enterprise has eight Westinghouse A2W nuclear reactors, each generating 35,000 shaft horsepower. That's an incredible amount of power, even for a ship this size, giving the 93,000-ton carrier a top speed of greater than 33 knots (38 mph). In trials it achieved more than 35 knots. Even today the crew boasts "Eight Reactors, None Faster." Indeed, Enterprise can still outrun her escort ships, including the latest Arleigh Burke–class destroyers.